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Many of us folks are use to attending the Wednesday Night Ho’ike at the Merrie Monarch for free, however, this year that will not be the case as you will need to purchase tickets in advance to attend:

Photo from the Merrie Monarch Site

The Merrie Monarch Festival announces that for this year’s upcoming Wednesday Night Ho’ike, Wednesday, April 3, 2013, we will be having a $5.00 charge for admission to the event.

The Merrie Monarch Festival Committee is coordinating a special Ho’ike to salute the 50th Celebration of the Merrie Monarch Festival. We have invited some of the original dancers, first Kāne winners and special guests to grace the stage. Since many of the performing hālau are from off island and their families (some from as far away as California) want to watch them dance, the committee wants to be fair and give all a equal chance to attend. Ticket mail-in is the fairest way to do this.

Winners of the 7th Annual Moku O Keawe International Hula Festival were announced Saturday night to an enthusiastic crowd at Waikoloa Bowl in Queens’ Gardens. Awards were presented to Makua Solo, Wahine Solo and Wahine Hālau, after three nights of competition in ancient Kahiko and modern ‘Auana divisions. (Kupuna Hālau and Solo winners were announced on Friday).

Sig Zane, Mary Jane Kamoku, Nalani Kanakaole and Kumu Alberta Nicolas

The top-scoring Wahine Hālau was Hui Hula Naleikalākupua (1,102 points) from Japan, under the direction of Kumu Hula Yukiko Hanayama. In second place was Hawai‘i Island’s own Beamer-Solomon Hālau O Po‘ohala (1,089 points), Kumu Hula Hulali Solomon Covington. Covington’s niece, Leiomalama Solomon, won the Wahine Solo title; she performed “Kimo Hula,” composed by her great-great-grandmother Helen Desha Beamer, for the ‘auana selection.

Fourteen hālau—seven from Japan, six from Hawaii and one from Mexico—competed in the three-night event, which also featured Hawaiian cultural workshops and Made-in-Hawai‘i Marketplace during the day at Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa.

The Moku O Keawe International Festival is sponsored by the Moku O Keawe Foundation, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing, enriching and educating the practice and development of hula and its associated arts. Sponsors include Waikoloa Beach Resort, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority/County of Hawai‘i CPEP Program and others. For information and tickets to events, visit www.MOKIF.com/updates.